Five Years Later
by CandySlice
Summary: [Mericcup Drabble] It has been five years since Hiccup had been to Dunbroch. Now that he's the new chief, he had a tighter schedule. He never thought he would be able to go back to the land where his true love was. He came back to a major change and gained more than he bargained for.


**This is the 2nd Mericcup drabble and fanfic I made. I hope you like this. (I posted this on my tumblr: xcandyslice)**

**This is only a drabble. I can't guarantee a plot for this because it was only a dream. I'm only adding things so you'd feel what I felt when I was in Hiccup's mind.**

**Hiccup hadn't been to Dunbroch for five years (he's 25 now) and when he returned, everything seemed to be normal but with a few changes.. or possibly a major one. **

**I do _NOT_ own HTTYD or Brave. My brain owns the idea though.**

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><p>It had been five years since he left the Scottish princess in Dunbroch. Back at that time, he thought he wouldn't be able to go back but now, he was on his dragon, speeding towards mainland Scotland. He only had so little time to visit. He had to lie to everyone and it wasn't easy. Looking for the perfect time to go back wasn't as easy to go around before he was declared chief of Berk. It was hard enough to lie to his father when he was still alive. Now that he was chief, he needed to lie to everyone. What added to the difficulty was that he got married. And for what reason? Hopelessness. It was stupid. Dumb and stupid.<p>

He knew well that he had strong feelings still for the princess but his mind clouded his heart. Now that he was thinking about it, why _did_ he push himself marrying the best girl Berk could have? Why did he have to lie to _everyone_? To himself? Now, he could say he really did screw up his life.

The Viking's eyes spotted a familiar landmark. The mountain. He was almost there. His heart began to pound on his chest. It was beating so hard it was beating against his armor. Not too long, he saw the majestic castle of Dunbroch. But there was something off. The flags were no longer the color of the Dunbroch clan's signature kilt. It was no longer the color of Merida's simple blue dress. It was the same color as Toothless' prosthetic tail fin but darker. Did they change color codes? The coat of arms was also no longer of the Dunrboch's, which was a a sort of tribal bear formed. Like the one in Merida's locket and brooches.

The rider's brows drew together as he told the Night Fury to lower himself just above the trees. The first thing that came into his mind was Merida marrying one of her previous suitors. That alone made his heart drop that felt like miles down a well. What really shot through his heart was the thought of her forgetting him. Not just forgetting him in her mind but also in her heart.

_Has she really forgotten about me?…_

Toothless landed on a small clearing near the village. He still knew it well despite being away for years. "Stay here, bud. I'll be back." He said as he removed his helm. The dragon only tilted its head, curious as to what was going on in his head. "Don't worry. I'll be quick." Hiccup smiled and hooked his helmet on his saddle. His hand reached for his prosthetic foot to change it from maneuvering the stirrup to his walking prosthetic.

One thing new he noticed about Dunbroch was it smelled of smoke. Also, the castle, despite being majestic, looked a bit worn down. His lips tightened to a straight line. Something _bad_ must have happened. The man walked to the direction of the village and sure enough, it was still the same old village with the same house structures but the people were different. When his eyes came in contact with theirs, he saw fear in them. But why?

Hiccup shoved the question at the back of his head and glanced around. Soldiers were wearing red kilts. They seem to look harsh unlike the old guards he used to see years ago. Since there was only one place he was sure to find Merida, he headed to the castle. As soon as he got there, he was met by two large guards who looked stern and unfriendly.

"State yer business." one of them said.

"I'm here to see princess Merida." his tone was formal.

The two guards exchanged looks before the same guard answered, "She's not here." the response was quicker than casual.

Hiccup slightly frowned, "Where can I find her?"

Instead of getting an answer, he was pushed away. It was like they wanted to avoid the topic. Again, why? Since the guards to be of no help, he turned back to the village. Maybe they know. He remembered how he and the princess spent their time in the village and played with the children there. The Viking walked around, looking for familiar faces. The odds were with him this time. He saw a few kids hanging around on the pavements and talking to one another. He recognized them despite the years. He walked to them, "Long time no see."

The children looked up. Their faces lit up like they just found a light at the end of a tunnel, "Hiccup!" they all happily exclaimed in unison. They bombarded him questions to which he didn't know what or how to say to them.

"I'm stoked to see you guys too." He smiled fondly at them, "But I need to know where Merida-" one of the children covered his mouth.

"We don't speak of 'er in public." The young boy said as he cautiously eyed one of the guards at the other side of the road.

This made Hiccup confused. Why wouldn't they?

"Why?" he asked, whispering.

A girl of nine years tugged on his sleeve, "It's forbidden." she whispered, "But we can bring you to 'er house!"

All the children exchanged nods and beckoned for Hiccup to follow them. They went to the forest. It was a long way away from the village and the thick line of trees made it dark that it seemed like it was already late in the afternoon. After a while, they came to an archway of what seemed to be an ancient kingdom. There were ruins everywhere. The fog that lingered there made his hair stand on end. Merida was here? What would she be doing _here_?

The child that led the group held out a hand to make them stop. He made a whistle that sounded like a bird's calling. Not too long, they heard the similar whistle coming from ahead of them.

"Meri! There's someone 'ere to see you!" the boy called.

Out of the shadows, a leg dressed with bandages and a fur boot slipped out. Then tattered skirts that had a huge slit on the side was seen until the full body of Merida appeared.

Hiccup's eyes widened. This was Merida?

"M-merida?.." he said softly but it was loud enough for the redhead to hear.

The Scot had the same reaction, "Hiccup..?" she said breathlessly.

The Viking wasted no time and ran to her. Merida did the same and threw herself to him. He caught her into a hug and spun her. No words were exchanged for a brief moment. When they pulled away, there came the words… and the tears.

"I-I thought I'd ne'er see ye again!" Merida cupped his cheeks as she looked into his eyes.

"Oh, Merida.." Hiccup pressed his forehead against hers, "..What happened to you? Why are you here? Why weren't you at the castle?" He asked when he looked down at her dress. The sight of her ragged self made him scowl.

It was the redhead's turn to scowl, "Ye didn't hear from the traders?…" she trailed off and when he didn't reply, she continued, "…We wurr attacked. They… they.. killed my family. I merely escaped."

He felt sorry for her. She lost her entire family and she was alone. It made him feel guilty that he wasn't there when she needed him the most. His arms wrapped around her petite body and pulled her to a hug, "I'm sorry, Mer. I truly am.." he whispered against her curls.

She relaxed against his body, "It's a'richt, Hic.. a'm fine now. At least a'm still alive." She smiled curtly.

It made him smile to know she was still the strong-willed, brave girl he met. His fingers mindlessly brushed through her red curly locks. He felt her lean in to his touch. _So she still does love me… _The mere thought of it made his smile grow.

Merida perked and became a bit more enthusiastic, "Let's go in." she gestured to the remains of what seemed to be a castle. There were no walls but there seemed to be a door that led underground. The children cheered and went ahead of them and entered her underground home. The two adults came in after them.

"Watch yer step." The redhead warned as she helped him down the pile of rocks as stairs.

Hiccup's eyes were on his steps until he got his feet on the flat cobblestone floor. He looked around and everything was decorated simply. The furnitures seemed to be from the ancient castle as it didn't look new. The wooden chairs had slashes and some of its wood was chipped off. Against the wall was a fireplace. The children were circled in front of it.

He smiled reminiscently, "…Just like what we used to be." That is, when they did this back at the Dunbroch castle.

Merida chuckled and crossed her arms over chest, "I know."

"How did you find this place?"

"Mum an' I found this place. Remember tha' story ah tell't ye whin ah turned mum intae a bear?"

He nodded slowly, "Oh.. so this is the ancient kingdom…" he said quietly. She nodded once then walked to the chairs and positioned them to face the fireplace. The two sat down. They tried catching up with their lives but Hiccup was trying to avoid about his marriage to Astrid. Unknown to him, Merida already knew.

The redhead parted her gaze from his and looked at the crackling fire, "How's yer.. marriage with Astrid?" she tried to make it sound like it was nothing for her. As someone who was hiding to protect her life, she became a good actress. Her acting skills got better and better whenever she went to the village to go to the blacksmith or buy food.

Hiccup stiffened at the topic. He almost winced. So she heard. "W-we're.. good." Maybe his partner but not him.

"Oh.." she made eye contact with him again. Her gaze pierced through his eyes. It was as if she was looking at his very soul. "Did you two have kids yet?" She smirked as she leaned her back on the backrest,

He was the one who looked away, "No. Not yet."

_Not yet._

"Huh? Why not? Did ye lose yer guts?" She snorted humorously.

His entire face turned red, "N-no! S-shut up, Mer!"

A laugh left her. It echoed in the hall. Despite being embarrassed, Hiccup felt better hearing her laugh and seeing her smile. "You're still a bully after all these years." he also leaned back.

"I guess there are things not even hell can change." She smirked.

He chuckled, nodding in agreement. He opened his mouth and was about to speak when suddenly the door opened. All of them turned to see who it was. A young boy wearing a dirty tunic, with a bow in one hand and a quiver over his shoulder came in and made his way down the pile of rocks and to Merida. He wasn't familiar with the boy so he thought that he might be one of the newborns before he left years ago.

"Artair!" The other children called and waved at him. The young boy waved back at them then looked back at Merida, "Ah shot down a rabbit t'day!" he said happily as he raised his small bow.

"Really?" Merida said with raised brows. She seemed proud, "Good job, laddie!" She chuckled and ruffled his hair. The boy turned and noticed Hiccup, "O-oh.. h-hello.." he waved shyly as his head lowered. His back was pressed against Merida's knees.

Hiccup smiled brightly and waved, "Hi! I believe we haven't met before."

The boy shook his head, "I-i'm Artair…" he swallowed.

"I'm Hiccup. Nice to meet you!" The older man nodded. His eyes traveled down the boy's figure before meeting Merida's eyes. He still wore a smile.

Artair ran to the other children and sat with them. The two adults watched them. It felt like two years ago when they first met the children. They were always shy but after a while, they were open. Kids were always fond of Merida for her playfulness. Some things never really do change. The thought made his smile widen. "I've never seen him before. Whose kid is he?"

There was a brief silence before Merida opened her mouth, "Remember that time when we… y'know?" she said quietly.

It made his face flush but he remained cool. He nodded awkwardly, "Y-yeah." The silence between them answered his question. The redness of his face faded and her eyes widened like saucers. _No way… _"M-merida… Y-you mean he's…?"

She made a curt nod, "He's turning five."

The Viking's head became a tangled mess of words and ideas and questions. His breath became heavy and irregular. His eyes were glued to the ground but the information slowly sinking in his very core made him slowly tilt his head to look at the boy called Artair.

Messy auburn hair. Turqoise eyes. Small frame.

_He looks like me…_

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><p><strong>Dun dun DUUNN! Whoops it's a kid! I don't know why I forced myself to wake up to that part. I really don't. How was it? Leave your comments :) I'd really want to know them.<strong>

**Trivia: Artair is the Gaelic form of the English name "Arthur"**

**You must've noticed the accent too. You might say it's extreme. I'm so sorry. I roleplay as Merida and yeah, I forced myself to figure out the Scottish accent. Lmao I hope you guys like it as much as the ones who I roleplay with :)**

**Cheers!**


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